Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Madhulika Liddle: Engraved in Stone

You might have looked hard at the Jaipur
Book Festival for her, or even expected her to be seen at book readings in
Delhi, but she is best found in Wikipedia
prominently figuring as the author who created the 17th century, detective Muzaffar
Jang, placed historically in the Mughal period in India. With her debut novel in
The Englishman’s Cameo, Madhulika
Liddle secured her place in the history of the literary world of Indian authors
writing in English, to give India its first detective placed in a period.

Liddle (40) began writing when she was 6
years old!

“My
mother used to subscribe to Femina and I thought it was the perfect magazine, a
story here, a recipe there, some fashion and so I emulated it and had my own Madhu’s Magazine, which had a story, a
grotty recipe, some drawings, it had a bit of fashion with little swashes of
material hanging out...!”

The journey with words had begun but it was
much later, in her late twenties that Liddle began to look at writing more
seriously.

Into her third book featuring Muzaffar Jang,
the latest being Engraved in Stone, Liddle’s
books sell even before the launch. The sheer romance of a period equals the
love and addiction people have developed for her main character. The language
is excellent and the plot so engaging that the reader is kept hooked till the end.

Madhulika Liddle studied Hotel Management. But
it was her historian older sister who became her source of inspiration for
writing in the Maurya period. Besides, when her brother-in-law, passionate about
historical detective novels brought into the family, trunk loads of novels, Madhulika
Liddle got hooked. It is then she decided that she was going to create one
herself.

“When I read these books I found that in
almost every period of history there is a detective - there is a medieval
Chinese detective, a Welsh monk, an Egyptian eunuch and I thought why not one
from India? If there has to be one, then, I must create one.”

And bingo! Muzaffar Jang was born! The
enormous amount of literature and research material available on the period helped
to write stories placed in the Mughal period.

The creation of a detective placed in a
period, is not the only first that has graced Liddle. The first prize at
Femina’s thriller contest with her story, Silent
Fear, now a part of her latest humour short story collection, My Lawfully Wedded Husband was followed by a
first at The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, with The
Morning Swim; again a first at Sulekha.com, Crossing Paths. A Suitor for Saraswatiwas the
second runner-up in The India Smiles Contest. Also, in Zubaan
21
Under 40 short stories collection All this added a philip to her confidence
and she realised that she could write stories that people liked to read.

Madhulika Liddle is a prolific writer and has four published
books, a few short stories, and plans to create a series of books placed in
Delhi between the period of 11th CE and 1947.when India got its
independence. She wishes to carry on her
Muzaffer Jang stories, the first of which,
The Englishman’s Cameo, was also published in French by Editions Philippe
Picquier, as Le Camée Anglais. Indeed, Muzaffar Jang is an extension of
Madhulika Liddle, with his love of books, birds and curiosity. But he may begin
to sulk soon as his creator aspires to publish another series of detective
novels with a different central character! Madhulika Liddle has her mind full
with a number of other books and stories she wishes to write in the near future

“I would like to be known as an author who
writes stories in different genre and not only one, including socially relevant
stories. The story which won the CBA competition is one such. I am hoping to
bring out a collection of stories which showcase this aspect of my writing.”

Liddle follows a strict discipline. She does
at least 1000 words a week day. She reads a lot, does not watch Television and
writes throughout the day. She also writes frequent on her blog on cinema,
before 1970.

She regards her husband, Tarun Bhandari as
her greatest support. It was he who stood by her when she decided to leave her job
to pursue a career in writing.

“He is the sweetest thing in life,” says
Liddle coyly. “Actually I would not have been an author today if not for him. He
is my first level editor, and the in-house marketing person for my books.”

Cheers to Tarun for supporting the lady’s success,
as India’s first historical detective
novelist. Indeed, Madhulika Liddle’s name is engraved in stone for giving
birth to Muzaffar Jang, from India.